There's gotta be more to life
by Reiyuka
Summary: Complete! Mimi comes back from the US with more then one surprise. Multiple pairings, fixating on Mimi&Tai, with hints of Kari&TK, Miyako&Ken and of course Sora&Matt. I hope you like it.
1. Chapter 1: Dawn

**Disclaimer :** I don't own nothing, well, except maybe the base behind Kay and Fei. But be free to use them as you like in your own story.

_**There's gotta be more to life**_

_**Chapter 1**_

17 year old Mimi looked out of her bedroom window excitedly. She still couldn't believe that she was back in Odaiba.  
Her mother had laughed when she had playfully noted to her father that they'd be broke if they went back to the USA.  
She stood up and whirled around in her room, a big smile caressing her features. "It's good to be back!"

Mimi walked into the kitchen, where her mother was happily making dinner. "Hey mom. When are we going to eat?" She asked, snatching a mushroom from the frying pan in the process.  
Her mother smiled and slapped her hand. "Don't do that, dear. We just have to wait for your father to come home. I thought you'd have some of your friends over."  
Mimi shook her head and sighed. "Nah, they were busy… Call me when dad's home, okay."  
She took a glass of water and walked back to the privacy of her room.

The truth was, she hadn't told her friends. Well, except Sora that is. She remembered her surprise.  
"What do you mean, I can't tell the rest? Are you mad at them or something? Why don't you want them to know?"  
Mimi searched through her stuff and found the group picture, made on the last day they where all together in the Digital world. Her finger caressed the picture as she focused her mind on every smiling face separately.

Joe, handsome in his own way, always worrying over pretty much every single thing.  
Izzy, his trusty laptop by his side as always, since he'd always had difficulties with expressing his emotions.  
Ken, handsome and intelligent, was she glad he wasn't their enemy anymore!  
Miyako, her cheerful friend who reminded her so much of herself yet was so different at other times.  
Daisuke, loudmouthed but still cute in a funny way.  
Cody, shy and small, but wise beyond his years.  
Tai, wacky and at times a complete idiot, still sweet and fun, not to mention extremely handsome and a guy you'd just die for.  
Kari, kind and sweet, always a listening ear and a friend for life.  
Sora, the most loving and tolerant person she knew.  
T.K., so sweet and nice, really a girl's best friend.  
And last…Matt, stubborn and closed, cocky and seemingly so cold, yet with the most warmth of them all. Mimi's eyes lingered on his handsome face.

"God, he's so hot…" She mentally kicked herself. "I'm getting of track here," she thought, "Why didn't I want them to know? Why didn't I want HIM to know…?"  
Mimi snorted at her own thoughts. Like she didn't know why… What a joke!  
She just had to look at his face, hear the low, sensual voice that came out of those perfect lips and she was of to lala-land.  
But he couldn't know. Not now, not ever.

Her eyes wandered back to her friend's face. She was the reason why Matt couldn't find out her true feelings about him. He was in love with Sora… Mimi's eyes became misty as she thought about that phone call more then two years ago.

* * *

Mimi stared at the floor in shock. "Mimi-chan, I'm so sorry! I know how you feel about Yamato, and you know how I feel about Taichi. But…"  
Soft sobs where heard on the other end of the line.  
"But I just can't keep waiting and hoping. He'll never love me. And, well, Yamato does. And I don't want to hurt him either. He's one of my best friends in this entire world. And I'm really fond of him too. You understand, right?"  
Still in shock, Mimi managed to whisper a soft "of course" in the phone.  
Her hand trembled as she brought it up to her face, trying to stop the tears before they came. She wanted to yell, to scream that Sora was cruel and mean, that she couldn't believe how she'd ever considered her as a friend and that she couldn't understand, that she'd never would.  
But it wasn't like Sora wanted this to happen, nor that she could change it.  
At that point, Mimi decided to just forget about it, forget that there was a boy named Matt Ishida and that she loved him with all her heart and soul. And that he couldn't know.  
After that, she returned to reality and she realised that Sora had been talking to deaf man's ears.  
"Um… Sora-chan," she managed to say, "Not to be mean or anything, but I really don't want to know the details." Her friend gasped. "I'm such an idiot! I'm so sorry, Mimi-chan. But I'm sure you'll get over it, and so will I."  
Mimi had to fight the urge to laugh at that, because she knew she'd never be able to get over it. "It's alright. Goodnight, Sora." "Bye Mimi-chan."  
Mimi slammed down the phone and ran to her room. She broke down in tears the minute she'd closed her door. She fell asleep crying that night, the first time she had ever done that. And it wouldn't be the last.

* * *

They had grown apart after that. She couldn't bring herself to be 'Mimi' when she talked to Sora. She was glad to see that her friend didn't suspect a thing and that she thought that Mimi was absolutely fine.  
This was another hint to Mimi about how badly Sora really knew her.  
She felt herself disliking Sora with every conversation they had, until almost all interactions stopped. Mimi hadn't wanted it to come this far, nor did she want any of the feelings she felt for Sora. But she couldn't help it. And besides, it wasn't completely her fault.  
Sora had changed this past year and so had Mimi.  
But while Mimi thought her change was good because she'd grown up and cared more about everyone, was more sincere then she'd ever been, Sora seemed to ignore every aspect that used to be part of her, part of her crest.  
She was turning into a self-absorbed, egotistical girl that cared only about her image and clothes. "Just like I used to be…" Mimi thought.  
She sighed again and plopped down on her bed, knocking over a frame, which stood on her nightstand; in the progress. She smiled as she picked it up and caressed it fondly.

One good thing had come out of all off this. Few days after Sora's call, she received another one, this time it was Tai that surprised her.  
"You know, since the two persons we love are now a couple, I thought we could sulk about it together. That's better then crying alone, you know." Mimi had dropped the phone in surprise.  
She asked him how he knew that she loved Matt. "I don't know, I just do. Now, let's just wallow in self-pity together, okay?" Since that day, not one day passed without a call.  
Sometimes they didn't talk at all, just sat there with the phone in their hands.  
Other days, neither of them could shut up and they'd talk till 4 in the morning.  
And then there where these days when Tai was just sad and he just wanted to hear her voice.  
Then he'd ask here to sing a song, and she'd do that while making her homework or something.  
They'd grown so close that they didn't even have to ask each other what was wrong. Mimi had really had a hard time not telling him about moving back to Odaiba.  
She knew he'd be excited. But she'd just said that she had a surprise and that she'd be away in the weekend, and that he'd hear from her on Monday.

She heard her mom calling from the kitchen. "Be there in a sec."  
She put the frame back in place, looked out of the window one last time, nodding to the school building on the other side of the street.  
"I'll see you in the morning." She smiled and walked out of her room, hoping for tomorrow.

_To be continued..._


	2. Chapter 2: Noon

**_Chapter 2_**

Mimi walked in with the flood of students. She was sure that Sora would try to find her, but she couldn't risk that. She wanted to confront her friends with her presence when they where all together, and Sora had told her that they all had other friends as well, but that they still had lunch together, and that everyone would be there.

So in order to let her plan work, she'd practically disguised herself. Wearing the green fuku that was the school - uniform, she didn't really stand out. Except then for her strawberry hair. So, she'd pinned it up and had pulled a very trendy hat over it. When she'd inspected herself in the mirror before leaving home, she'd concluded that she looked pretty good, yet unnoticeable for someone who didn't expect her.

Suddenly she heard some familiar voices. "Hey Matt!" Tai came running and walked to a boy, only feet away from where Mimi was standing. "Oh shit, oh shit." She mumbled. She jumped up again when she heard a soft. "Excuse me." Kari and T.K. came running past her, waving at Tai. He looked in their direction and noticed Mimi. His mouth opened a little, as if he wanted to say something, but he shook his head, and she heard him say while passing him by, "That can't be Mimi, you're dreaming, buddy."

Mimi panicked and rushed towards the teacher's lounge, where she was to meet with her class teacher. Nothing happened on her way over there, and she was glad to see that her teacher was a cheerful and sweet woman, asking her questions about New York and other things.

They walked into the classroom and the teacher clapped her hands. "Class, I'd like you to meet a new student. This is Mimi Tachikawa and she'll be joining you the rest of the year. Miss Tachikawa, as you probably know, I'm you're class teacher and I give Sociology. My name is Ms Gia and I'm sure you'll fit in nicely. Everyone, I expect you all to behave, and that includes you, Todd."

The class laughed and a brown haired boy grinned sheepishly. "Now, who'll help Mimi on her first day?" A few people lifted their hands and Ms Gia smiled contentedly. They seemed like a close bunch, everyone chatting happily with everyone else, no one really seemed out of place.

Ms Gia thought for a moment. "Well, Mimi, since Kay is sitting there all by herself, I think she'd be happy to show you around." The girl named Kay smiled and Mimi couldn't help notice what a pretty girl she was. 'She's probably extremely popular.' She thought. Mimi pulled of the hat and a few people giggled.

Ms Gia smiled. "Well, that's an interesting colour. Do you mind explaining it a little bit? That way the class can get to know you and I don't have to bore them with what I'm supposed to teach."

Mimi chuckled and nodded. "Sure, why not. Well, you've got people with black hair, brown, red, blue, green and so on. So why not pink? I chose pink 'cause nobody really has pink hair and I really like the colour. Besides, I think it suits me. And pink is just a cool colour. And lately I think it's just become a habit, since I've had my hair like this since I was like 14."

The class laughed and some girls nodded understandingly. Ms Gia laughed as well, and nodded. "Thank you, Mimi. You can sit down now. This is a good subject for a class discussion, I think. How does everyone feel about this?" Ms Gia sat down on the top of her desk and a class discussion started, about a silly issue as hair-colours. Mimi chuckled to herself, she had a great feeling about this class and it's teacher, she was sure she'd enjoy herself here.

She sat down next to Kay, who immediately flashed her a smile and held out a hand. "Hi, I'm Kay Inari, pleasure to meet you Mimi." Mime smiled and shook the other girls' hand. "Same here, Kay. This seems like a fun group of people." Kay smiled and nodded as she let her eyes wander over her classmates. Mimi couldn't help notice again how pretty the girl was.

There wasn't anything fancy, she didn't have this extraordinary beauty like some of those glamour girls. No, she just had curly black hair that reached to her shoulders and dark blue eyes, a tanned skin and a sweet face. She looked absolutely normal, but there was something about her that made her more then pretty.

Mimi decided that it was just her attitude and the way she smiled. Kay turned back to her and smiled. "Yeah, I guess you're right. But we've pretty much always been together. There hasn't really been anyone new in our class beside you. So, how's life?" Mimi laughed and they started talking, and she knew she'd found a new friend.

When the bell rang to announce lunchtime, Mimi and Kay had talked pretty much through all of the lessons, and Mimi had told her everything. Kay even knew about Matt and she herself had confessed her feelings for one of Tai's friends, a black-haired boy named Fei. "I can't believe I actually told you that! Not even my other friends know!" Kay had exclaimed when they entered the cafeteria. Mimi laughed. "Tell me about it, it's not like I was planning on telling you about the whole Matt- thing. But… Well, I don't know. I just feel like I can trust you."

Kay smiled and nodded, slipping an arm through Mimi's. "Same here, buddy. So, you're friends usually sit at that table. Let's wait until they're all there." Mimi nodded and they waited a bit, leaning against a wall, their lunch in their hands. When Daisuke had finally sat down, Mimi pulled of her hat and they walked towards the table, still arm in arm and having a bit of trouble of keeping their lunch in one piece

When they reached it, Mimi smiled and asked. "Hey guys, mind if Kay and I join you?" The whole table turned silent for a moment and all eyes where open in shock. Then suddenly Tai jumped up and ran to her, hugging her and whirling around with her in his arms. "Meems!! I can't believe you're here!! This is so great! How I've missed you this weekend, my fingers where itching to call you! So this was the surprise!"

Mimi laughed and clinged onto him. "Of course, you idiot! I've missed you too; do you know how hard it was not to tell you?" Kay laughed, holding Mimi's lunch and her own as she'd grabbed it away right before Tai hugged her. "Mimi, you do notice your friends are gaping at you." Mimi blinked and so did Tai. He let go of her and blushed a little. Mimi laughed and hugged him one last time, really tight. "You know, my mom is going to be very happy with the phone bill from now on." Tai laughed. "Yeah, mine to." They let go of each other again, only to see their friends looking at them in surprise and Sora looked like she could kill Mimi.

Kay noticed this and whispered to Mimi what she thought about it. Mimi burst out into an uncontrollable fit of laughter, while Kay supported the motion by laughing to. Eventually, they both almost fell until Tai held them up. "Okay, will you two relax for a moment? I think everyone wants to talk to you, Meems." Mimi nodded and giggled a bit. She smiled and waved again. "So, what's up guys?" She asked.

Sora stood up angrily. "What's up? You dare to ask? You come here, not telling anyone except me that you're coming in the first place. Then you act all buddy-buddy with that bitch," She pointed at Kay and Mimi wondered why Sora thought of her new friend as a bitch, "And last of all you and Taichi act like you're madly in love. What is with that anyway?" Everyone stared in shock at Sora, and Matt softly pulled Sora back down. "Calm down, Sora-chan, they're just good friends."

He wrapped an arm around her and Mimi realised all over again why she didn't like Sora anymore. Her face got this stubborn expression and she lifted her chin up defiantly. "First of all, I wanted to surprise the people that I thought where my friends and I hope they still are, even though you're acting like you hate my guts.

Second, Kay isn't a bitch; she's the best girlfriend I've had in ages and on that last matter…" Mimi sighed and put her hat back on, shaking her head in the progress. "Even if Tai and I where in love, which we are not, that is our choice and you shouldn't bother with that."

Sora started to interrupt. "But…" Mimi glared at Sora and shook her head. "But nothing. Don't give me that crap. If you did care about him or me, you wouldn't have done what you did. And I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. I don't know what's happened to you these past years, but you've turned into the egotistical girl that I used to be, and I pity you, but most of all I pity our friends."

Everyone looked a bit surprised, but they didn't seem to mad. They had been more surprised by Sora's outburst then Mimi's calm reply. Suddenly, Tai snickered and all eyes turned to him. "I'm sorry to say, Sora, but Mimi is absolutely right. And Kay isn't a bitch either, it's just because she's more popular then you are. Now, if you don't mind, and if the rest still wants so, I think Mimi and Kay would like to join us for lunch."

Everyone stared in surprise, Sora looking like she could kill them, Tai in particular for pointing out the truth.. But when Matt averted his eyes and looked at "his" Sora, her expression immediately changed and she looked like she was about to break down in tears.

Kay snorted and glared at Sora. "How pathetic. I think I'm going to sit somewhere else, Mimi-chan. I can't forget what you told me about all of this, and I'm not sure if I can bring myself to be nice to Sora. I'll pick you up later, okay?" Mimi nodded and Kay walked of, chin held up high, looking by all means like she owned the place.

Mimi suddenly remembered something. "Hey Kay! Don't forget to tell me who he is!" She yelled. Kay turned, a blush creeping up to her cheeks. She winked and flashed a smile. "I will! Just make sure you keep your mouth shut to that buddy of yours." She nodded towards Tai, who looked absolutely lost, and then turned to join her friends and classmates.

Everyone else in the meantime had no idea what was going on. Kari and Miyako looked at each other and nodded. Even thought neither liked to admit it, they had to agree with Mimi and they longed to talk with their elder friend. So they both shuffled and opened a place where Tai and Mimi could sit. "Hey Tai, Mimi-chan, come sit here. We want to know all about New York and your trip here." Kari smiled warmly. Tai winked at Mimi, and Mimi returned the wink. "You know, Tai-kun, you have the greatest sister."

Tai laughed and hugged his little sister. "Yeah, she's cool alright!" They sat down and a conversation started; and at the end, everyone joined in, letting Sora sulk on her own while Matt was looking confused from his usual sweet girlfriend to the girl he thought to be Sora's best friend.

_To be continued…_


	3. Chapter 3: Day

_**Chapter 3**_

The bed made some funny noises when Mimi plopped down on it. She sighed relieved, the day was over and nothing to shocking had happened. Well, except for the little 'cat fight' between her and Sora. Tai had remarked laughing that they'd just needed some mud and it would've been perfect. She'd slapped him playfully, noting dryly that they weren't wearing bikini's either. He'd laughed and began tickling again.

Mimi chuckled at the memory. If someone had told her that they would become such good friends, she would've called an ambulance and taken them to a mental institution. But still, she was glad he'd been there today.

Mimi had apologised to Sora about what she'd said. She meant every word of it, but still, she hadn't had to act so coolly. Sora also apologised and for the rest of the day, they had made a silent truce.

Sighing, she shook her head a bit. They had all changed so much! Sora was really mean and cold on the outside. But she knew how Sora was on the inside and that it all would turn out okay in the end. To her own surprise, she found herself less bothered with the fact that Matt and Sora where acting all cuddle. She'd actually felt happy for them!

But one thing did bother her. While everyone seemed to have grown and evolved, she felt like she'd been left behind. Eyeing herself in the bathroom-mirror, she concluded that a girl that was growing up still wouldn't walk around with strawberry-pink hair for the past 3 years. She dropped her head sighing and walked to the living room.

While watching television, an idea formed in her mind, but she dismissed it almost immediately. But still…

"What if I'm not in love with Matt anymore?" Her mother looked up. "Did you say anything, honey?" Mimi turned her head to look over the couch. "Mum, could I go to the hairdresser this weekend?" Her mom tilted her head confused. "Why? You've had a haircut just before we left in the US." Mimi blinked a bit surprised at her own statement, then nodded. "You're right. I don't know why I just said that." She stood up and walked to her room, pondering, concluding that life just couldn't get any more complicated then that.

That conclusion faded away as the week continued. Mimi found herself less and less bothered about the whole Matt-Sora affair and more and more bothered by the fact that she felt left behind. And with that, so did her disgust for her own pink hair grow. As silly as it sounds, Mimi felt that it was the proof that she hadn't moved on. The feelings she felt for Matt, were the feelings she'd felt for him when he was younger. It slowly began to sink in that she loved the memory of Matt, not the boy who'd act so kindly to her in the hallways.

On Friday, she felt like it was enough and started talking to Kay about it on the playground. "Hey Kay, I've been thinking about this a while now…Don't you think that…? Kay, are you listening?" But in stead of answering, her friends eyes where fixed on the figure of a young, fairly handsome guy with short, spiky, black hair that was talking to Tai. Mimi observed the boy for a moment, noticing his confidence and how comfortable he felt. "Fei?" she questioned. Kay just nodded, and then suddenly gasped as Tai led the boy over to them.

"Okay, Meems, this is my buddy Fei." Mimi smiled as she stood up to greet Fei. Tai winked towards her and continued his introduction. "Fei, this is Mimi and that's her friend Kay." Mimi extended a hand towards him, and Fei shook her hand firmly, smiling kindly. But when Tai mentioned Kay, he blushed a little shyly and nodded to her. "We've met before." Kay also nodded and smiled, trying to make herself as small as possible, so she wouldn't be noticed. But Fei did notice her, and the expression on his face looked very tender.

Mimi observed the interaction between those to with interest. "So he likes her to…" She thought. She had a sneaky suspicion that Tai also knew something about it and she turned to look at him, staring into his wide-smiling face.

He put an arm around her shoulder and said loud enough to make both Fei and Kay look up; "Don't you think love is a beautiful thing, Meems? I mean, just look at those two!" Mimi couldn't help laughing when the couple looked up, both blushing furiously and yelling, "You told her/him?!" Tai joined in with the laughter and they clutched onto each other so they wouldn't fall down. Kay and Fei had, in the meantime, just been standing there staring at each other, until they both smiled and Fei pulled her up into a hug.

Mimi couldn't help exclaiming a loud, "Aaw, that's so cute!" Fei and Kay turned to her and Tai, smiling. "Thanks you guys. Mimi, you're a real friend." Kay said, while Fei nodded in agreement. They waved and walked a bit off to talk. Tai looked at Mimi with a smug expression on his face. "Am I good or what! That was just too easy!" He exclaimed, winking at her. Mimi chuckled. "How did you know they were into each other?" She questioned. Tai shrugged. "I don't know, I just thought so. And beside, it was worth the try, since Fei had told me how much he liked Kay."

Mimi shook her head laughing. "You're something alright." She hugged him tight, whispering into his ear, "That was a very nice thing to do, Tai. I'm proud of you." When she released the hug, a small blush was on his cheeks, and Mimi looked at him questioning. He chuckled and waved a hand in front of his face. "Don't you think it's hot today?" Mimi blinked. "Tai…It's fall and it's freezing…" She tilted her head suspiciously, and Tai just stood there, laughing uncomfortable.

Kay couldn't stop chatting and smiling through the rest of the afternoon, until Mimi finally got sick of it. "Okay, I know you're happy, and I'm happy with you. But could you finally shut up for a minute, you're giving me a headache!" Kay, in reply, had started giggling and continued to giggle every time Mimi glanced at her.

When Mimi crossed the street that evening, to walk home, Tai caught up with her and found out how a really pissed-off Mimi looked.. "What's wrong?" He questioned, looking a bit worried. Mimi sighed desperately and managed to smile. "Nothing, just feeling loads of self-pity." She stood in front of the apartment building and turned to smile at him. "But it was a great thing you did for them. Sora sure is lucky you love her. You're a great guy, a great friend and just…great!"

Tai, looking rather flushed, nodded awkwardly. "Um…Yeah…Well, about that…" He looked at her again, and then smiled warmly. "I've got to go. I'll call you tonight, okay?" He took of, leaving Mimi looking into nothing but empty sky. Suddenly, she noticed he wasn't there anymore, and turned to look at his retreating form. She ran a bit after him and yelled, "Hey Tai! What did you want to tell me?" He stopped in his tracks and turned around.

She could see he was debating with himself and she waited patiently. When he'd finally made a decision, he smiled and yelled back, "I'll tell you some other time. It's not important." Then he disappeared behind a corner.

Mimi looked at the ground, a bit uncertain. Then she looked up at the place where he stood right before he left. She huffed sarcastically. "Not important, my ass! If it wasn't important, mister Kamiya, you wouldn't have been debating with yourself for a whole minute."

She glared again towards the end of the street before she entered her apartment-block, a cloud of thunder hovering above her head.

_To be continued..._


	4. Chapter 4: Dusk

**_Chapter 4_**

It was Saturday night, 7 p.m., and Mimi was bored out of her mind. Her mom and dad had gone to some sort of a "Welcome back"-dinner party from her father's work, and Mimi was left alone with nothing to do. While slacking in front of the TV, she grunted and stated, "It's a reversed world, I tell you." She blinked some when she realised that she had been talking to herself.

Mimi, out of utter boredom, had done her homework, cleaned her room, mailed some people she knew in the big Apple, read some stupid cooking magazine of her mom's and had been flipping through channels for more then half an hour. She angrily grabbed the remote and turned of the TV.

"It's Saturday nigh, I'm 17 years old and I'm stuck at home. What is wrong with this picture?" She sighed as she realised she'd been talking to herself again, "I seriously need to get out. And I feel like having fun." She pondered for a moment and concluded with, "I feel weird, too," before hopping up from the couch and snatching the telephone, walking to her room.

Her fingers automatically dialled a number, Mimi not rethinking her action since she was too busy trying to figure out what was wrong with her. She smiled warmly as she heard a familiar, male voice mumble into the phone, "Yeah….Tai here." Mimi could easily picture the big-haired boy, his mouth stuffed with candy. She giggled softly before playfully saying, "Stuffing your face again, lover boy?" The other end of the line remained silent for a while, before Mimi heard a loud gulp as he swallowed down whatever he was eating. In stead of his cheerful answer, she heard a soft, "Hey Meems, what's up?"

Not hearing the usually happy tone in his voice, she questioned worriedly, "What's wrong Tai?" Getting another silence, the frown on her forehead deepened, "Well, if you don't want to tell me, that's fine. Could you give me your sister, please?" A soft grunt was heard from Tai before he softly said, "Mimi…I just…" She interrupted harshly, her bad mood just getting worse, "Tai, forget it. I'd like to talk to Kari now, please." "I'll pass her through," he timidly said.

Mimi fiddled with the line a bit, uncertain what to think about Tai's silence. Accompanied with his odd behaviour the day before, this really threw her off. She shook her head in confusion and concentrated on the sounds on the other line.

The creaking sound of a door opening, accompanied by Tai's voice yelling, "Kari! Phone!", made Mimi's mood lighten some. The image of their house, where she had only been once before, appeared in front of her minds eye, Tai slumping somewhere on a couch while Kari would be cheerfully humming some song, made her wondering thoughts go back into place. "Who is it? T.K.?" Mimi heard another door and Kari's excited voice coming closer. "No, he's coming over later, with Ken. It's Mimi." Tai's voice lowered as he spoke her name, and Mimi dully wondered what the hell was going on. A surprised, "For me?!" was the last thing that she heard, before the phone was picked up again.

"Hi, Mimi? Kari here." Mimi smiled softly, "Hi Kari-chan. Sorry that it's just me." A soft, "You heard?" came drifting through the phone. Mimi chuckled, "Yeah, I heard. But it's nothing to be ashamed of, Kari. I mean, T.K.'s a great guy! But don't you think it's time to tell him? Then again, I shouldn't give anyone any love advice." She sighed deeply, her thoughts suddenly aimed on the big haired loudmouth. She blinked in confusion, thinking, "Aren't I supposed to be thinking about Matt now….?"

She shook her head some, focusing on Kari's talking, "…so many guys, and I just don't want them. You know?" Mimi wasn't sure about what her friend and been talking about, but she had a good hunch, "I know. Trust me, I really –really- now. Hey listen, I feel like dancing or something, do you know if there's a party tonight?" The girl on the other side hesitated, "No…but…, could you hang on for a moment?" She heard the phone get laid down even before she had the chance to reply, "Okay…."

In the meantime, the girl on the other side of the line was just opening the door to another room. Her older brother, sitting at the kitchen table, looked up, "Something wrong?" Kari shrugged gently and questioned, "Hey bro, do you think mom would mind if I asked Mimi over too? With Miyako, I mean. Mimi-chan sounds really weird, like something's on her mind. She's been acting strange since yesterday, don't you think?" Tai shook his head, "I don't think she'd mind, especially not since Mimi's acting so weird, as you say it." Probably my fault anyway, he silently added in his mind. His little sister smiled warmly in thanks and started walking back to the living room. Tai stood up with a sigh, checking to see if there were enough snacks and drinks for their extra guest.

Mimi was singing boredly, remembering this song she'd heard on the radio to other day.

"Under a lover's sky,  
gonna be with you,  
And no one's gonna be around.  
If you think that you'll move on,  
Well just wait until,  
'til the sun goes down.  
Underneath the starlight, starlight  
There's a magical feeling so right  
It'll steal your heart tonight"

Her voice faltered, thinking about the first time she felt her heart being stolen, coming to the conclusion that this was a long time ago. She annoyingly tapped on the table with her fingernails, still humming as her mind was kept rather busy, thinking about the blond young man who she once cared so deeply about.

She closed her eyes in agony, trying to sort out her feelings towards him and towards her best friend for the umpthieth time that day, yet failing as usual. She sighed loudly, just when Kari picked the phone back up. "Something wrong, Mimi-chan?"

Mimi blinked a little, shaking her head furiously before realising that her friend obviously couldn't see that. "No, there's nothing wrong. There's just so much going on lately, you know." The younger girl on the other side of the line snorted indignantly, "No kidding. You know what? Why don't you come over? Miyako's coming, and you could stay the night too if you want." Mimi whooped and hurriedly accepted the offer. "Yes! I'll be at your house in an hour." She heard Kari laugh and say, "See you then."

Mimi happily dialled the number of her dad's cell phone, asking if she could stay the night at the Kamiya residence. It didn't take long to get her parents to agree, and Mimi cheerfully ran around the house, getting her things ready.

Standing in front of her closet, Mimi stood for a dilemma. She'd pulled out skirt after skirt, top after top, and still all her clothes seemed so…plain. Mimi laughed softly at her own behaviour, "Of for crying out loud, what am I doing? It's just Tai's place, there's no need for me to look good…" But even while she was repeating this in her mind, her closet slowly became empty while her floor was covered in clothes.

Mimi sighed in desperation, wondering what on earth she was looking for. She kept on questioning herself while rummaging through the small pile that had remained in her closet. All Mimi's normal clothes wore thrown out; from the sexy skirts and short tops till the stylish dresses, pants, vests and blouses. The only decent pair of clothing in the closet was a black, baggy pants, a light green tank-top and a pink vest.

To her own surprise, she found this to be absolutely perfect. Getting dressed in about 5 minutes, which was a record, she threw another shirt and some underwear in her bag. Not much later a silk pyjama joined the shirt together with her toilet bag. She checked everything again, nodding happily as she practically waltzed into the bathroom.

When Mimi Tachikawa locked the door to their apartment, anyone who knew her would've declared her to have gone out of her mind. Bouncing over to Kari's house, Mimi hummed a cheerful tune, the few bangs that where left out the ponytail bouncing along. She'd never realized that her hair could be this soft without all that stuff poured on it.

Even though she was still a bit confused about the whole Tai-Matt-Sora situation, her mood had soured to cloud nine and she felt like having fun. Not having been alone with two of her closest friends, Mimi was really looking forward to this little get-together. Of course, the fact that Tai was there would be a huge plus. She grinned at herself, stopping in her tracks about 5 feet in front of the door to Tai and Kari's apartment building. She spread her arms, looked up at the stars and yelled out, "Life is good!"

A couple of floors up, a brown-haired teenager looked down in surprise when he heard her shout.

He'd gone out of the apartment to take in the night air and relax, for some reason it made him nervous to know that a certain, pink-haired girl would come over in a while. He'd hoped to catch her before she ran in to one of the other people they'd invited. He wasn't sure of the reason why, though.

Resting his arms on the balustrade, he was staring up at the stars, wondering what on earth had gotten in to him a few days ago. He'd almost told her…almost told her that his feelings were changing. And not only towards her.

He'd sighed and rested his head in his palms, thinking about her again. He couldn't explain it, whenever she was with him, everything seemed so amazing. Even the slightest thing was a miracle. She made life so beautiful and good. Before, he had the urge to wonder what was so good about life. There had to be more to it then he saw. But then she emerged from the clouds of New York and turned his life upside down.

He felt braver, more sure and most of all, determined to protect her against everything. Yet it seemed that he only made her confused, not even mentioning his own confusion. Sometimes he'd wish she'd never come back, then he would've spent his days pining away for Sora. But noooooo, she had to come along and make him see that Sora, even though she was a wonderful girl, was the right girl for Matt and that she was the right girl for him. He grumbled softly, "Dammit Mimi!"

At the same time, a pink-haired teen spread her arms as if she was about to fly and shouted loudly, "Life is good!" After staring for a while, the brunette hurried back in side, his heart pounding in his throat. 'Oh crap…she's here…Breathe, man, breathe…' That last thought becoming his mantra, he walked over to his sister's room and knocked on the door, "Kari? Mimi's here." With a small smile, the girl opened the door and giggled at her brother's red face, "I noticed. Could you let her in, I'm still busy." With a slight hesitation, he nodded and headed for the door, only one thought in his head.

'Breathe…breathe…breathe…'

_To be continued..._


	5. Chapter 5: Evening

_**Chapter 5**_

Practically skipping through the hallway, Mimi ended up in front of the Kamiya's residence. She reached out to ring the bell, but didn't get the chance as a suddenly very red Tai opened the door. A bright smile appeared on the girls face as she looked at him, "Hey Tai." She tilted her head at his red face and questioned, "Something wrong?"

The boy blinked and relaxed at her question, slowly shaking his head with a grin on his face, "Nope, nothing wrong. You look…" He ran his eyes over her body and rested them on certain parts of her form. Mimi couldn't help blushing, wondering what on earth he was doing. Eventually he rested his eyes back on her face and whispered, "…amazing." They remained staring at each other for a while, both feeling a mixture of comfort and awkwardness, which was a surprisingly nice feeling.

Eventually, Mimi pointed into the room and asked timidly, "Um…can I come in?" Tai blinked and immediately stepped out of the way, "Of course, sorry. Kari's in her room." The pink haired girl nodded, shot him a cute smile and then skipped towards her friends room, yelling, "Kari-chan!"

As he closed the door, Tai shook his head lightly. He'd prepared himself of seeing her in one of those maddingly tight dresses that caressed every one of her curves. Instead, seeing her in a less sexy outfit had made his hormones go on a field trip. What the hell was wrong with him?! He swiftly ran a hand through his already messy hair before plopping down in the couch. Turning the TV on, he hoped it would help getting his mind of off his friend, considering the fact that he had to spend a whole evening with her. He idly reflected on the past, on the times that he'd yelled at her in the Digiworld, accusing her from not caring or from being too much of a spoiled brat to care. How wrong he had been.

'Did I ever apologise for all the things I said then…? Does she know I care?' He shook his head at his own thoughts, concentrating back on the program for a single second. 'Of course she does! But then again…I never told her...' Shaking his head again, he turned the TV off in annoyance and walked over to the kitchen, pouring a glass of coke for himself.

His recent train of thought was annoying him. It bugged the hell out of him to know what she was doing to him; and that what she did to him had never happened before. Not even with Sora! Grumbling as he, once again, headed back to the living room, this time with a glass of coke in his hand, Tai said, "The pain, the agony of it all…"

And now, to make things worse, he was going to end up alone with her! Well, he couldn't exactly call it worse…After all, it was always a lot of fun to hang out with Mimi, but still. Every time he was near her, it seemed like he had to keep his hormones in line as to not just grab her and kiss her to death. A happy grin spread over Tai's face and the thought of kissing Mimi, and he remained staring into his glass until he was startled by the sounds of the doorbell ringing.

With a glance at the clock, he concluded that he truly was a hopeless case (as Tai had been picturing that lovely scene for more then a half hour) and that his friends and Miyako were probably there.

Tai's hand was only three inches away from the door when he got pushed away roughly by the blur of something dressed in pink. When his mind registered that it had been Kari, he simply stared for a moment. Her hair was still the same, brown colour as always, although now it had a pretty gleam to it. A small purple hairclip made it all the cuter. She had then put on a pinkish-lilac dress, which was the cause of Tai's staring. His little sister in a very feminine yet slightly teasing dress was just too much. It made him wanting to throw a blanket over her to cover up her bare back and long, bare legs.

Instead, he just stood there looking at her like a fish, his mouth opening and closing a couple of times until he saw his sister animatedly talking to TK, who was a bit stunned himself (to say the least).

After a short while he felt the comforting presence of Mimi Tachikawa, who'd placed a gentle hand on his shoulder as both watched the blushing and bumbling couple in the doorway. The shorter girl stood on tip-toe and leaned in lightly to whisper to him, her soft hair softly brushing against his neck, causing goosebumbs to appear all over his body. "Aren't they cute? I hope you don't mind, Kari-chan asked my help…" As Tai looked into her big, brown eyes, he saw the slight worry and immediately reassured her with one of his toothy grins, "Nah, don't worry. I know she likes him." The worry was immediately replaced with happiness and Tai let out a sigh of joy; was it possible that a simple smile could make your heart do flip-flops? Possible, yeah, healthy; not sure.

After another five minutes of awkwardness, TK and Kari finally decided to head inside and talk to the two older people who were talking softly to each other, both looking lively and happy. The door was barely closed when the bell rang again, announcing the arrival of Miyako or Ken. Though when the door opened again, it revealed to be the two of them, shyly standing next to one another.

Tai let out a soft groan; this was –so- going to be a couples evening. The annoyed and slightly miffed feeling got stronger when Mimi suggested making something to snack on while the rest of the group chose a movie to watch. Tagging along the pink-haired girl, Tai slightly wondered what she was planning.

He crossed his arms over his chest, leaning against the kitchen table while she was looking through the fridge, trying to make something a bit healthier then the chips Tai had gotten them. After a moment of silence, in which they could hear the cheerful laughter of the two girls in the living room, he tilted his head and asked, "Mimi-chan? What're you up to?"

She turned around, having a bunch of his mother's weird ingredients in her arms, as she made an innocent face, "Me? I'm up to nothing. Except trying to make something, which I can't do without a knife. Where are the knifes, Tai-kun?" He snickered, pushing his hips off against the table and walking over to the drawer that held the knifes. He didn't buy her act, but considered that whatever she was up to had to be something like what he did with Fei and Kay, so he couldn't exactly keep pushing her about it.

Handing her the knife with a gentle grin, he simply shook his hand and sat down at the kitchen table, pondering lightly about some things with the sound of chopping in the back of his head.

After about five minutes of utter silence, Mimi couldn't take it anymore. He'd already been acting weird before, and now it was just worse. She sighed and pushed the knife into a piece of carrot, turning around too look at her friend. "Okay Tai, what's up?"

He looked up startled and regarded her as if he hardly knew who she was anymore. Mimi rolled her eyes and poked his side lightly, "Seriously, Tai, what's up with you lately? I've never seen you be so distant before." She hesitated and continued, "Kari-chan thinks you're in love with someone. Is that true?"

When he nodded yes, Mimi couldn't help feel the pain shoot through her heart. How had she grown to love him in such a short period of time? Well, short period of time….'I can't exactly call it that.' A sigh escaped her, which caused Tai to look at her oddly, "And what's wrong with you, lately? Also in love or something?" Without really thinking about it, Mimi nodded too, causing Tai's eyes to widen. "Really…? 'cause…you know, I was only kidding." He then realized something and hit himself on the head, "Oy, I'm such an idiot. Matt, of course."

With a gentle smile, Mimi decided it was time to fess up. Maybe she was the one he cared for, maybe not. 'I'll never know until I take the risk. I told Kari-chan about why Sora and I are 'rivals' now, so that's cleared up. This is probably the best time to do this.'

Picking the knife up again, she started with a soft voice, warning Tai that it was something serious. "Actually, you know, it's really funny but…I don't love Matt. I was in love with the boy he used to be, not the one he is now." When she heard his surprised gasp, she immediately added, "Not that I don't like him or something, I mean, he's a great guy and all…It's just that I think I've been holding onto that so-called love just 'cause I was scared or something."

Not used at his friend being so self-reflecting, Tai timidly asked, "Scared of what?" As a reply he received a short shrug, "I don't know. I think…afraid of change. I think that's why I've had my hair painted pink all this time." She firmly trusted the knife into the carrots, chuckling dryly, "Lame, don't you think?"

Mimi was surprised to feel a warm hand on her arm, urging her to look at her side, only to be lost in the eyes of the once oh-so courageous leader of their gang. "I don't think it's lame. I think it's normal, although I'm not sure why you wouldn't want things to change." His soft but serious reply made her think for a while, avoiding the gaze from his warm brown eyes into her own. "Afraid of losing you guys…of losing our adventures in the Digi-world. I still don't quite understand why we haven't been able to go back there ever since….you know…"

Tai nodded in reply as Mimi avoided his warm gaze. He felt his heart fluttering in his chest for unknown reasons. His closest girlfriend was baring her soul to him and all he could think of was how pretty she was, how moist and lush her lips seemed while her eyes shone like the brightest stars in the dark blue sky. 'Dseesh…some friend I am…'

Suddenly both noticed that his hand was still resting on her arm, and Tai quickly removed it with a blush. When seeing this, Mimi had no doubt in her mind anymore. 'It –is- me who he likes…. What luck!' She smiled brightly at him, causing Tai's eyes to widen and his mouth to form a surprised 'o', before really making him look like a huge round tomato as she hugged him tightly around the waist.

With an even softer voice, though now a bit teasing, Mimi continued, "But you know, Tai-kun, these last couple of days made me realize something else too. I may not love Matt, but I did find out who it was that I really loved." She heard his heartbeat quicken and felt his chest rise and fall underneath her head. When he whispered, "Oh…who?", she had almost missed it if it wasn't for his arms tightening around her.

Mimi looked up, a pair of brown eyes looking back into her own, and she stood on tip-toe to kiss him on the lips. Fireworks exploded in Tai's head, while butterflies were taking over in Mimi's stomach as both lost their selves in the sweet, loving caress of a first kiss.

The magical, sugary (not to mention fluffy) moment was loudly interrupted by two pairs of teenagers loudly applauding. The couple flew apart in the blink of an eye and looked positively embarrassed at their hooting friends. TK, who had leisurely rested an arm on Kari's shoulder, chuckled, "We were wondering how long it would take for you two to realize your feelings for each other." The girl clad in pink clothing, with a blush on her cheeks to match her outfit, nodded in return and added, "Yeah, your two friends told us that they thought something more was going on between you. That's when we started paying attention to it ourselves and figured that it'd be best to leave you two alone for a while. But we couldn't miss the kiss, of course."

After the initial shock had wore off, Mimi openly started teasing Kari on her 'blooming relationship' with TK, leaving the poor boy open for the inquiries of his lady's brother. A bit to the side stood the only couple that…wasn't a couple. Miyako couldn't say that it wasn't from lack of effort, she had just rested with the fact that her beloved Ken didn't seem to like her in that way. Well, she hadn't really accepted it… It wasn't really an Inoue thing to do, after all. Because Inoue's weren't quitters! That's for sure.

Stealing a glance at the object of her affection since she had met him, she found him awkwardly looking away from their friends. It was pretty weird, though, she had to admit. Kari and TK, and now Tai and Mimi. Was she going to be the only girl of the gang without a boyfriend? It seemed like it. Although…. "Mimi-chan, Kari-chan, I was wondering if we could talk for a moment." The two girls blinked and nodded, Mimi ordering the boys to finish cutting the vegetables she had washed and cleaned. Seeing the surprised look in Ken's eyes as she didn't even make the slightest attempt on touching him (as in his arm or something), the purple-haired girl raised her head high and trotted into the living room.

Her two girlfriends followed Miyako into the living room, Kari immediately asking, "What's wrong, Miyako-chan?" Mimi, who as the older one being a tad bit more perceptive then her younger friend, smiled gently and nodded, "Rather akward, I must admit. I was afraid that this was going to happen today, or at least I thought it was going to happen to me." She sighed starry-eyed, "But who could imagine that this thing between Tai-kun and me could me solved so easily?" Kari followed the starry-eyed stare not much later, both lost in the mental image of their love, while leaving the poor Miyako standing there to simple sweatdrop. She shook her head, 'It's best just to be happy for them now. Let it go, Miya.'

Balling her hands into fists, she put up a warm smile and congratulated her two friends, saying how happy she was for them and such. They ended up walking back to the kitchen while giggling madly, both Kari and Mimi being too lost in their happiness to worry about their friend, at least for the time being.

Busy with making some coleslaw, Ken glanced at the three girls as they re-entered, noting the fake smile on Miyako's face. He frowned, knowing that she wasn't one to pretend feelings, not like him. Being more sly and closed then her, he had yet to be caught returning the glances that she always threw him. The glomps he had received from her had been annoying at first, yet the more he got to know this intriguing young girl, the less he seemed to care.

And today, while choosing a movie to watch while TK and Kari were busy kissing in the corner of the room, she had been cheerfully talking about things, stunning him with the radiance of her smile over and over again. When she had finally stopped talking, he was even more stunned by the tender curve of her lips as she apologized for talking about trivial matters and when she inquired how he was. Could there be a girl more intriguing yet simple then Miyako Inoue? 'I dare to say there isn't.'

Receiving the 'OK' from Mimi regarding his coleslaw, Ken withdrew back to the living room, sitting in quiet contemplation until the object of his thoughts walked in with a heavy sigh. He felt the weight of her troubles crushing his heart and felt himself be obliged to inquiry about her problems. "Daijobu ka, Miyako-san?"

The purple-haired girl's eyes widened at the sound of his voice. She turned slightly and smiled reassuringly, "Hai hai, daijobu, Ken-kun." Miyako walked over to him and sat down on the couch, a fake smile playing on her lips. "Quite an interesting day, don't you think?" Ken frowned, causing her to look slightly confused, then flustered as he explained, "A genuine smile suits you much better, Miyako-san." She giggled lightly and hope flared in her heart, "Oh…um…thank you, Ken-kun." He nodded and smiled, reaching out for her hand and gently taking it into his own. "You're welcome."

From the open door between the kitchen and the living room, a pink-haired girl rested her head against the shoulder of her love. He gently held her in his arms, a warm smile playing on his lips as they looked at the blushing pair sitting on his couch. "You know, Tai-kun," she whispered, "Maybe there's still hope for them." He smiled and brushed his lips against her cheek, "There's hope for all of us, Mimi-chan."

_**The End**_

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* * *

_Author's notes_**_ Whoo…finally done. I felt like I couldn't leave it with Miyako and Ken not being at least a bit together. I'm a sucker for stories with more then one couple. - I'm surprised I finally got a story done, that's quite a first time. I hope everyone likes it. Reviews are greatly appreciated, and thank you for reading my story._


	6. Epilogue: Night

**Disclaimer:** I don't own nothing. The characters and original storyline are copyrighted to whoever owns Digimon, and the song 'That's the way love goes' is copyrighted to N'Sync, since I used their version instead of the original one by Janet Jackson.

__

_**Epilogue**_

Sitting silently on a bench, watching the stars shine in the dark night, was a young girl, pondering slightly embarrassed about something. After Taichi and Mimi got together…well, it had urged her to do some serious thinking, self-contemplation included. She had to admit that lately her life had started revolving around petty little things like popularity. It was hard not to think about that when you were the girlfriend of the school's most popular guy…but still. She should've known better.

Rubbing her hands together to ward away the cold, a small smile caressed her features. Everything had changed. Something she would've dreaded in the past, yet learned to love now. Now her heart belonged to only two people, herself and her boyfriend. She'd never doubt again, never think of another again, now that she had him.

Which brought her too the thing that was troubling her now. She loved him, therefore wanted to be honest with him. Yet…would he still love her, if he knew? If he knew how selfish she'd been? Patching things up with Mimi and Taichi had been hard enough to do, yet both seemed to want nothing more then to have the old friendship restored. Something she had gladly agreed with. But still…doubt clawed at her heart as she heaved a heavy sigh. She'd have to take the risk.

Slowly he made his way over to where he had left his girlfriend, offering to go get both of them some hot cocoa, since the warm night was becoming more and more chilly. As he neared the bench, he stopped in his tracks, observing the small figure that seemed to be hidden completely in her coat. A tender smile tugged at his lips.

He had his Sora back. The Sora he fell in love with in the first place. He wasn't quite sure why or when it happened, but the thing that changed her not too long ago, seemed to be away now. She was back to being shy, loving and sweet Sora. His Sora.

Walking over to her, he noticed that her stare was fixed on a certain spot on the floor. Not seeing anything particular on that spot, except some dirt, he questioned softly, "Sora-chan?"

The brunette looked up startled and smiled, "Oh, Yama-kun! I didn't realize you were here already." Moving aside a little to offer him more space, she smiled shakily at him, forcing her nerves to harden so she could begin her speech, hoping to every possible deity out there that he wouldn't be mad.

He fixed his eyes on her face while handing her the cup of cocoa, and seeing her tensed shoulders and the nervous nibbling on her lower lip, he smiled. "Ne, Sora-chan?" She looked up with big eyes and nodded. He wrapped his arms around her as usual, wanting to be close to her. "I know that there's been some…misunderstandings and secrets between us lately. But now, with Taichi and Mimi, I finally realize what it is." She held her breath, fearing whatever he would say next. When she saw his warm, sincere smile, though, she relaxed, "But you know, Sora-chan? It doesn't really matter anymore. You're back to who you were before all this happened, you're back to the girl I fell in love with. And that's all that matters, don't you think?"

She simply nodded, tear-eyed, and buried her face in his shoulder. Feeling his arms wrap her around her a little tighter, her tears ended up falling anyway. The sky saw this as it's cue to start releasing the small, white crystals, making the hugging couple the centre of the romantic scenery.

_(That's the way love goes)  
__(Ooh.. that's the way, ooh ohh..)  
__Like a moth to a flame  
__Burned by the fire  
My love is blind  
__Can't you see my desire? Yeah.._

_That's the way love goes  
(My love is blind, can't you see my desire?)  
(That's the way, that's the way, that's way love goes..) _

Don't mind if I light candles  
I like to watch us play and  
Baby, you've got on what I like  
(That's the way...)  
Come closer baby, closer  
Reach out and feel my body  
I'm gonna give you all my love  
(that's the way love goes)

Oh sugar, don't you hurry  
You've got me here all night  
Just close your eyes and hold on tight  
(baby, hold on tight)  
Oh baby, don't stop, don't stop  
Go deeper baby deeper  
You feel so good I'm gonna cry (cry..)  
Oh I'm gonna take you there  
_Oooh _

That's the way love goes  
That's the way love goes  
(that's the way.. that's the way...)  
That's the way love goes  
That's the way love goes (ooh!)  
That's the way love goes...  
That's the way love goes  
That's the way love goes  
That's the way love, that's the way love…

**That's the way love goes**

Author's notes: Okay, so…I decided an epilogue was in place, don't you think? Plus that's such an amazing song and I just wanted to add it. Thanks for reading, peeps.


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